JDM Traditional Japanese Car "Mark II Three Brothers"

Toyota's Mark II, Chaser, and Cresta are models that were called "Mark II Three Brothers" in the late 1980s, gaining high popularity as the core of the luxury car boom at the time.

Mark II Chaser Cresta, as they are called "brothers", had the same basic design. Three models have been set by sales channels. The dealers were set to each other, Mark II sold at Toyopet stores, Chaser was sold at Toyota Auto stores, and Cresta was sold at Toyota Vista stores.

The origin of the car name is that the Mark II was originally called the Corona Mark II, and it was named as the 2nd generation of the Corona, a high-end car of the Corona. Chaser means "chaser" in English and Cresta means "shining ornament on the top of the Western coat of arms" in Spanish. The motif of the emblem design was the light emitted from the center of Mark II, the shield and bow and arrow of Chaser, and the helmet of Cresta.

The 1st Mark II appeared in 1968 as a car model located between the Crown and Corona. While inheriting the design of the Corona, the body has been made one size larger to give more room to the living space. There was a diverse lineup of body types: 4-door sedans, 2-door hardtops, wagons, vans, and pickups.

The engine is a 1.6L and 1.9L in-line 4, with detailed differentiation for each grade, and specifications have been set to meet the expectations of users. Up until the 4th generation, the Mark II had a larger and more luxurious body with each model change. In the latter half of the 1980s, along with sister cars Chaser and Cresta, they formed the "Mark II Three Brothers" and gained high popularity. Due to its high reliability and durability, the Mark II was also used as a commercial vehicle and special vehicle: taxis, hire cars, training cars, company cars, and patrol cars.

Chaser was released in 1977. Since it was developed as a rival to the Nissan Skyline, which was a popular model in the same class, it was a model aimed at younger users than the Mark II. The Chaser was the only 2-door hardtop ever. Masao Kusakari, a popular Japanese actor, appeared in TV commercials at the time. The Chaser was released up to the 6th generation and closed in 2001 after 24 years of history.

The Cresta first appeared as a 4-door pillar hardtop, the same as its sister car. From the 2nd generation onwards, while the Mark II and Chaser were pillared hardtops, they were released as sedans and were popular as luxury personal sedans. Cresta ended its 21-year history in 2001 when all of his 5th generation inventory was sold out. Its successor was the Verossa.

The Mark II was discontinued in November 2004 with the introduction of its successor, the Mark X. The curtain closed on the 9th generation and 36 years of history.